Wrapper for articles of merchandise



Oct. 29, 1935. J DRIVER 2,019,401

WRAPPER FOR ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE Filed Dec. 5, 1930 Patented Oct. 29,1935 PATENT OFFICE I 2,019,401 wiuirran ron narrows or comma ISE John M.Driver, San Francisco, Calif. Application December 5, 1930, Serial lilo.500,396 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-11) My invention relates to the packagingofvendible units, and comprises an improved wrapper for articles ofmerchandise, more particularly vendble units of tobacco, cigars and/orthe like, and one object of my invention is to provide a transparentwrapper which shall embody as a complete, single unit, a wrapper and alabel or band; the latter being imprinted upon the wrapper and occupyingrelatively, in the complete package, the position of a label or bandsuch as those applied to cigars and the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide this band or labelindicia upon a completely transparent cover or wrapper by an imprintupon the under or inner surface of the same; which imprint, due' to thecomplete transparency of the sheet or pellicle, will show through thelatter as though it were a separate element carried directly by thearticle enclosed within the wrapper;

the printing upon such inner or under surface being from a positiveblock or printing surface with the imprint applied in reverse on theback or inner surface of the wrapper, as distinguished from the usualnegative block or printing surface which would give a positive imprint.In this manner the imprint is provided on the inner or under surface ofthe transparent wrapper directLv adjacent to the article enclosed bysuch wrapper and hence it is not subject to accidental removal or damageand may not be rubbed oil in packing the wrapped cigars or othervendible units or articles, or otherwise handling the same.

I propose to employ Cellophane as the transparent wrapper for the cigarsor other articles. Inimprinting the representation of a cigar label orband or other indicia .upon the inner or under surface of the Cellophanesuch printing will be entirely innocuous and incapable of ailecting thetobacco or other material enclosed by such form of imprinted wrapper. Atthe same time, the full efiect of a banded cigar, for instance, isobtained, with the economic advantage of a single article applied to thecigar, with less labor and at much less expense. 7

These and other features of my invention are more fully describedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure Us a perspective view of the complete- 1y wrapped article, inthis instance a cigar, enclosed in the improved wrapper forming thesubject of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under and/or imprinted sin-face of acomplete wrapper, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a completely wrapped article; thelatter being indicated by broken lines.

In the marketing of many articles sold in units or unit quantities. atthe present time, wrappers of Cellophane are employed. This material 5in the form of a highly polished transparent pellicle; enabling thepurchaser to closely examine the goods without-actually handling thesame. Wrappers of this type are largely employed in thepackaging ofcigars, which are wrapped as single units and in groups forming salableunits.. In the merchandising of these units at the present time, thecigars are independently banded, with band and cigar enclosed by thewrapper, or the wrapped units are handed. In each instance, twooperations or steps'in such packaging are required; one to bandthecigars, and the other to wrap them. And the banding may precede orfollow the wrapping. I propose to obviate one of these operations orsteps by imprinting the band or label directly upon the transparentCellophane wrapper and to arrange such imprint so that it will lie nextto the cigar or other article enclosed by the wrapper so as to showthrough the same; the complete transparency of the wrapper enabling theimprinted band, label or other indicia to show with as much clearness asa band independently applied to the cigar or other article and enclosedwithin the wrapper, or applied externally to the wrapped cigar or otherarticle.

In the drawing, Fig-1 represents a cigar enclosed in my improved,imprinted wrapper; the latter being indicated at l, and the cigar at 2.These wrappers may be sealed to the cigar in any usual manner althoughnot actually attached thereto, and the ends of the wrapper are foldedover the ends of the cigar or other contained article and fastened down,sometimes by a suitable adhesive and sometimes by the inherent abilityof the Cellophane wrapper to be 40 crimped and folded in a dampcondition and retain such position. These wrappers serve to maintain thefreshness of the cigars when employed therewith.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing I have shown a complete wrapper in plan; thesize of the same being such as to properly enclose the article to bewrapped, whether it is a. cigar or other tobacco product, or any othervendible unit. Centrally of the sheet of Cellophane forming the wrapper,or at such other position as 'may be suitable or desirable, Iimprlnt onone surface of the same suitable indicia relating to the goods orarticle enclosed by such wrapper. In the present instance I vhavev shownthe representation of a cigar band or label, indicated at 3. Thisrepresentation is imprinted on the under or inner surface of thetransparent wrapper sheet or pellicle and, as illustrated in thedrawing, this printing is in reverse; being effected by means ofpositive type or other printing surface, block, or the like having apositive printing face. Colors may be imprinted, and white ink may alsobe employed, so that the complete, final imprint, whichshows through thepellicle and may be viewed properly from the outer'surface of thewrapper is a per- 'fect simulation, in the present instance, of a cigarband or label. In the present instance the lining indicated at a and bmayrepresent contrasting colors; the lettering and lines may be in goldor other metallic color, and the white space following the margin of theimprint and izilicatedat may actually be a line of white 1 In likemanner other indicia may be applied for other articles; the simulationof bands, labels, and any trade-mark device may be so displayed upon thetransparent wrapper sheet as to simulate direct application to the goodsenclosed, with the economic advantage of applying the wrapper and thedesired indicia at a single operation. As may be understood, the band orlabel for a cigar. for instance, may be an exact duplicate in color,letteringand form, of any band or label employed with any banded cigarnow on the market.

It will be understood, of course, that the imprinting applied to thebody, sheet, or pellicle of transparent material, Cellophane, or ,thelike,

may be in the nature of an embossing action or operation simultaneouslywith or independently of the imprinting action or operation. And as suchembossing action will be applied to the under surface of the sheet orpellicle, it will be intaglio with a cameo-effect upon the exposedsurface. This cameo-like appearance, especially where metallic color isemployed -,will simulate exactly the expensive labels or hands uponcigars, the effect of which is greatly enhanced by the highly polishedsurface of the Cellophane, which will transform the dull pigmentous bodyconstituting the colors employed to a rich tone and appearance.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a cross section of'a wrapped article; the thinline indicating the pellicle of Cellophane, and the dark patches on theinner side indicating the printed portion;

phane" film having a highly outer or the latter being enlarged to showclearly that such printing'is on the inner surface of the Cellophanewrapper. The wrapped article is indicated by broken lines for the sakeof clearness. The lapped portions of the wrapper may be secured 5together by an adhesive or the wrapper may be applied in any mannercommonly employed in practice.

While I have shown a wrapped cigar in the drawing and have indicated theadvantage of my invention as applied to the merchandising of cigars whenenclosed in these transparent wrappers, it will be understood that myinvention is not limited to the preparation of cigar wrappers, orwrappers for tobacco products, but may be employed generally inthepackaging of merchandise sold in units andwhere indicia of somenature normally employed with such units-may be readily applied and maysimulate bands, .ties, labels, or other elements employed to hold thegoods together or to indicate their character.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a wrapper of Cellophane" forcompletely enclosing vendible units, having indicia imprinted on theinner or under surface of the same for display from the outer highlypolished surface of the. Cellophane.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a wrapper of Cellophane forcompletely enclosing vendible units such as ,cigars and the like, havingindicia in the form of a band or label imprinted on the inner or undersurface of the same, simulating the band or label usually applied tocigars for .display from the outer highly polished surface of theCellophane.

3. A wrapper of transparent Cellophane for completely enclosing anarticle of merchandise; said wrapper having a highly polished outersurface with a label or band representation embossed thereon; suchrepresentation being in intaglio 40 on the under surface of 'theCellophane? and giving a cameo effect on the -outer andfhighly polishedexposed surface thereof; 4. A wrapper of transparent Cellophane for"completely enclosing an article of merchandise; said wrapper having anembossed imprlnt,"in-' taglio on the under imprinted surfaceand cameoupon the exposed surface; the imprinted Celloexposed surface.

, JOHN, M. DRIVER.

DKSCLAIMER 2,01Q,4O1.J0hn M. Driver, San Francisco, Calif. WRAPPER FORARTICLESOF MER- CHANDISE. Patent dated Oct. 29, 1935. Disclaimer filedMar. '30; 1945, by the assignee, Sylvia F. Driver.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1 and 2 in said specification.

[Official Gazette May 1, 1945.]

